Tatishivili's fine for not meeting a professional standard at the French Open completely overturned, Tomic's fine upheld.

Was this the right move for Tatishvili and Tomic?

  • Yes, correct decision for both

  • No, correct decision for Tatishvili but incorrect for Tomic

  • No, incorrect decision for Tatishvili but correct for Tomic

  • No, bad decision for both.


Results are only viewable after voting.

Aussie Darcy

Bionic Poster
Anna Tatishvili won an appeal to reclaim her prize money from the French Open, where she lost in the first round and was accused of not performing at a proper level. A similar appeal by Bernard Tomic yielded only a meager concession.

Anna Tatishvili has won an appeal of one of the harshest penalties in tennis. After a 6-1, 6-0 loss to Maria Sakkari in the first round of the French Open in May, Tatishvili was fined all of her first-round prize money, 46,000 euros, or about $51,500, for failing to “perform to the required professional standard.”
Soon after, Tatishvili, 29, filed a 40-page appeal to the Grand Slam board. After reviewing those documents and video of the match, Bill Babcock, the board director, told Tatishvili on Thursday that her prize money would be returned.
She had been out with persistent ankle injuries for 19 months ahead of the French Open, and in a letter explaining his decision, Babcock wrote that “there is no evidence that your movement was restricted or that you were not using your best efforts.”
“Despite the score line,” the letter continued, “it is clear that you — even confirmed by your in-form opponent — were competing professionally from the first to the very last point, however unsuccessful in the end.”

Bernard Tomic, who was fined all of his prize money — 45,000 pounds, or $56,600 — after a listless 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 defeat against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the first round of Wimbledon this month, also appealed, but he received only a meager concession from Babcock. Tomic, 26, will get 25 percent of his prize money back two years from now, if he can play eight Grand Slam events without receiving a single code violation.

Unlike Tatishvili, Tomic had not been injured, and the Wimbledon fine most likely took into consideration his history of periodically delivering underwhelming performances.
“A review of your historical record of misconduct at Grand Slams, never mind elsewhere, provides little justification for an adjustment,” Babcock wrote, adding later: “In your case, Bernard, I am sure you would agree there is no historical evidence to give comfort to the theory that you can reform your behavior.”

Tatishvili said in a statement that she was happy that “justice has been served” and that the ruling “definitively confirmed that I played to the best of my ability.”

“I love this sport, and after years battling injury, I’m excited to be back in competition and getting stronger every day,” Tatishvili said.

The First Round Performance rule, added for the 2018 season, was intended to prevent injured players from appearing in Grand Slam events simply to claim prize money. It was prompted by a rash of players retiring midway through first-round matches at majors because of existing injuries.

Tatishvili was the first player fined under the rule to have completed the match in question, which complicated her case.

“Earlier cases carried the objective fact of retirement from the match, thereby bolstering the determination that the player had miscalculated his/her professional match fitness,” Babcock wrote.
He conceded that “a completed match requires heightened scrutiny of the match itself beyond length and score to have a secure finding of” a violation.

Babcock said that the match footage had been reviewed “with the helpful presence of a highly regarded independent coaching expert who has worked with numerous top players.” Babcock ended his letter to Tatishvili by thanking her “for taking the time to submit your comprehensive appeal.”


Though his language toward Tomic was considerably less cordial, Babcock agreed with Tomic’s assertion that the chair umpire, Mohamed Lahyani, “could and should have issued a code violation at numerous points during the match for lack of best efforts.”

Tomic contended that such an intervention would have given him a chance to adjust his behavior.

Tomic said he planned to further challenge the ruling against him, and he pledged to donate any money recouped to a charity in Australia, his home country.

“I don’t care about this 25 percent; I care about the right thing for players in the future,” Tomic said in a telephone interview Friday from Atlanta, where he will play in an ATP tournament next week.

Tomic took particular issue with Babcock’s refrain that he was required to use “best efforts at all times,” saying that conservation of energy and strategic tanking are part of the sport.

The new rule applies only to Grand Slam first-round matches, which have become loaded with outsize paychecks — even for defeats, essentially making the prize money an appearance fee.

On Thursday, the United States Open announced that it was increasing prize money for this year’s tournament. The prize money for first-round losers has gone up by 47 percent over the last four years, and now sits at $58,000.

This is very interesting and had set a precedent, interesting that Tatishvili had the entire decision overturned.
 

Aussie Darcy

Bionic Poster
Also, got to love the 'drag' from the grand slam board towards Tomic.

D_4WKzhXUAUbAfQ.jpg
 

Tshooter

G.O.A.T.
“Tomic took particular issue with Babcock’s refrain that he was required to use “best efforts at all times,” saying that conservation of energy and strategic tanking are part of the sport.”

Best efforts at all times. :rolleyes: Can someone point me to a source to where he used this phrase because I don’t believe it.

Djokovic should be fined 20% of his W final prize money for tanking the 2nd set. :unsure:
 
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Aussie Darcy

Bionic Poster
Why did they add this nonsense? Grand Slams have been around for a really long time and prize money worked fine

I hope Tomic takes them to court
They added the rule due to players turning up to the slams to cash in the big payday but not perform. I believe the 2017 Wimbledon was a big factor where there were seven 1R retirements including the two marquee matches featuring Djokovic/Klizan and Federer/Dolgopolov . That came after 6 retirements during the French Open tournament.
 

reaper

Legend
Why did they add this nonsense? Grand Slams have been around for a really long time and prize money worked fine

I hope Tomic takes them to court

I think it was added due to 8 1st round retirements at 2017 Wimbledon. Players were exploiting the additional prize money for 1st round losers by showing up injured or otherwise unfit, defaulting their matches after a set and collecting $60K for their trouble.
 

reaper

Legend
This is very interesting and had set a precedent, interesting that Tatishvili had the entire decision overturned.

Tomic's defence effectively reads as a guilty plea. Rather than being fined for not trying the umpire on court should have warned him for not trying, which might have prompted him to try.
 

accidental

Hall of Fame
Surprised by how harsh they were with Tomic.

How can they justify Tomic getting 7 games vs a guy who has been in the top 10 for a decade and still take most of his money, but return all of the money for a lady who only won 1 game?

Even if Tomic tried his heart out every point it could have easily been the exact same score vs Tsonga. I’m sure the betting market would have had a similar score line as one of the most likely outcome.

Sets a dangerous precedent indeed. I’m sure if you looked at most professional matches point by point you would find at least 1-2 points in every match by each player where they don’t look like they are trying their hardest.

Honestly I can’t see how the ATP can let this slide. This is an administrators over reaching with his powers and directly threatening players livelihoods.
 

Raiden

Hall of Fame
Unacceptable.

Tonic should take them to court. The way he was mocked clearly shows what tourney organizers REALLY think of tennis players. The NFL or FIFA do not brazenly mock and insult the players they punish (cuz their ass will be taken to task by the player-unions and what not)

Tomic better dump his poor p1ss-ass Aussie lawyers and hire the fancy American law firm that Tatishvili used (Kirkland & Ellis)
 

Ann

Hall of Fame
I think it was added due to 8 1st round retirements at 2017 Wimbledon. Players were exploiting the additional prize money for 1st round losers by showing up injured or otherwise unfit, defaulting their matches after a set and collecting $60K for their trouble.
This is precisely the reason Wimbledon is now being so hard-azzed with their ruling. I can't say I disagree, the early rounds of Wimbledon 2017 were chaos.
 

TheIntrovert

Hall of Fame
Fact is Tomic earnt that money whether you like it or not. He wasn’t handed a wildcard or anything. He worked hard enough over the course of the whole year to earn that spot. Don’t give me any nonsense about any other player would do anything to take his spot. Clearly they didn’t work hard enough over to actually earn it, did they. What a massive c*** that Babcock guy is. An absolute shambles
 

thrust

Legend
Unacceptable.

Tonic should take them to court. The way he was mocked clearly shows what tourney organizers REALLY think of tennis players. The NFL or FIFA do not brazenly mock and insult the players they punish (cuz their ass will be taken to task by the player-unions and what not)

Tomic better dump his poor p1ss-ass Aussie lawyers and hire the fancy American law firm that Tatishvili used (Kirkland & Ellis)
Why should anyone feel sorry for Tomic, a lazy irresponsible and juvenile Jerk?
 

stingstang

Professional
Why should anyone feel sorry for Tomic, a lazy irresponsible and juvenile Jerk?
No but fining players for lack of effort could just become a farce. At the end of the day, if they don't try hard enough they will just drop out often top 100 and not qualify anyway - like Tomic now.
 

King No1e

G.O.A.T.
Tomic shouldn't have been fined, either. He won games in that match, and both him and Tsonga play at a quick pace. There was no explicit evidence that he tanked. The punishment for that is the rankings drop and humiliation that comes with losing badly without a fight, not a fine.
 

Aussie Darcy

Bionic Poster
Surprised by how harsh they were with Tomic.

How can they justify Tomic getting 7 games vs a guy who has been in the top 10 for a decade and still take most of his money, but return all of the money for a lady who only won 1 game?

Even if Tomic tried his heart out every point it could have easily been the exact same score vs Tsonga. I’m sure the betting market would have had a similar score line as one of the most likely outcome.

Sets a dangerous precedent indeed. I’m sure if you looked at most professional matches point by point you would find at least 1-2 points in every match by each player where they don’t look like they are trying their hardest.

Honestly I can’t see how the ATP can let this slide. This is an administrators over reaching with his powers and directly threatening players livelihoods.
The Tatishvili match which was B03 and finished 6-0 6-1 was completed in 57 minutes. The Tomic match which was B05 and was 6-2 6-1 6-4 finished in 58 minutes..

Tatishvili had 5 break point chances in her match, converting one. She also won 20 points on Sakkari’s serve in 2 sets.
Tomic had 0 break point chances and he won just 9 points on Tsonga’s serve in 3 sets

Sometimes scorelines don’t read the entire story.
 

Lleytonstation

Talk Tennis Guru
Fact is Tomic earnt that money whether you like it or not. He wasn’t handed a wildcard or anything. He worked hard enough over the course of the whole year to earn that spot. Don’t give me any nonsense about any other player would do anything to take his spot. Clearly they didn’t work hard enough over to actually earn it, did they. What a massive c*** that Babcock guy is. An absolute shambles
Yeah he did deserve his earnings, and he deserved to be fined that same amount for tanking...
 
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Reactions: Ann
That is a scandalous statement. That borders on bullying the player.

Is Mr. Bab**** going to be penalised for giving Bernie a pep talk?

:cool:

If that only "borders" on bullying, what would he have to do to cross the border into outright bullying, in your view?

I agree that it was a scandalous statement. Incredibly pompous, smug, and self-satisfied to hector Tomic in such a way.
 

Ann

Hall of Fame
That letter is representative of how the real world works after high school they really don't give out participation trophies. At a real job, not even bothering to try, you get fired.
 
This is very interesting and had set a precedent, interesting that Tatishvili had the entire decision overturned.

Very interesting development. Did Tatishvili end up using crowdfunding for financial support after receiving the fine, or was that in another case? If she did use crowdfunding, what happens to that money now? Very interesting situation on a lot of fronts.

Also, got to love the 'drag' from the grand slam board towards Tomic.

D_4WKzhXUAUbAfQ.jpg

WOW! What a wack! Like others, I think this is misplaced aggression. The concern for me is that Tomic is dealing with some mental health issues behind the scenes and that type of public vilification will do no good. Quite an aggressive approach from Babcock. I'm in a state of shock over that. Agree with @Tennis_Hands - Mr. Babcock may have overstepped the boundary professionally there.

Having watched both matches, I do think the original fines were harsh but right in both cases.
 

beltsman

G.O.A.T.
That letter is representative of how the real world works after high school they really don't give out participation trophies. At a real job, not even bothering to try, you get fired.

Does Tomic work for this moron? It's not an employee-employer relationship. Not that any employer should publish a public comment like that about an employee.
 

Tshooter

G.O.A.T.
Next stop CAS. Bernie can just crib half or more of the Tatishvili appeal. 8-B Let’s find out what the vauge play to a “professional standard” means and who determines whether it was met and how.
 

Tshooter

G.O.A.T.
Does Tomic work for this moron? It's not an employee-employer relationship. Not that any employer should publish a public comment like that about an employee.

The tone and tenor of that letter was inappropriate. The guy should have just explained how the applicable rule was applied in this case. But reading between the lines it seems like they used some kind of “we know it when we see it” tanking rule which takes into account not only this match but his past behavior.

giphy.gif
 

TheIntrovert

Hall of Fame
Yeah he did deserve his earnings, and he deserved to be fined that same amount for tanking...
What’s the problem with tanking?
Here’s my issues with fining a player for it.
-The first round prize money isn’t decided and awarded based upon the effort you give. It’s given because you worked hard enough that year to actually make it into the tournament. A guy in a 5 setter should otherwise get more than one that goes down in straight sets
-Who decides what’s tanking and what isn’t? 6-2 6-1 6-4 is a pretty regular score line. We’ve seen worse and not be fined
-It takes away credit from the opponent actually playing well
 
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Max G.

Legend
What’s the problem with tanking?
Here’s my issues with fining a player for it.
-The first round prize money isn’t decided and awarded based upon the effort you give. It’s given because you worked hard enough that year to actually make it into the tournament.

Yeah, it is. You get the prize money if you show up and compete, but not if you don't.
-Who decides what’s tanking and what isn’t?

Whoever the ITF designates to make that decision.
 

Max G.

Legend
Surprised by how harsh they were with Tomic.

How can they justify Tomic getting 7 games vs a guy who has been in the top 10 for a decade and still take most of his money, but return all of the money for a lady who only won 1 game?

Because based on a review of the matches, Tatishvili gave her best effort, and Tomic didn't.

Even if Tomic tried his heart out every point it could have easily been the exact same score vs Tsonga. I’m sure the betting market would have had a similar score line as one of the most likely outcome.

If he'd tried his heart out, he wouldn't have gotten fined, even if he got the exact same scoreline.

Sets a dangerous precedent indeed. I’m sure if you looked at most professional matches point by point you would find at least 1-2 points in every match by each player where they don’t look like they are trying their hardest.

And if it it were just 1-2 points, Tomic wouldn't have gotten fined. It appeared that throughout the match, he was not giving a full effort.
 

Tshooter

G.O.A.T.
...
Whoever the ITF designates to make that decision.

That should obviously not fly with the players.

I'm sure the player's union will step up. Oh yeh, it doesn't exist. :cry:

Where is the ATP board -- that bastardized amalgamation of player reps and tournament owner reps -- and the player's council when you need them ? And the issues have nothing to do with Bernie per se. It's the vagueness of the rule and the process.
 
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Lleytonstation

Talk Tennis Guru
What’s the problem with tanking?
Here’s my issues with fining a player for it.
-The first round prize money isn’t decided and awarded based upon the effort you give. It’s given because you worked hard enough that year to actually make it into the tournament. A guy in a 5 setter should otherwise get more than one that goes down in straight sets
-Who decides what’s tanking and what isn’t? 6-2 6-1 6-4 is a pretty regular score line. We’ve seen worse and not be fined
-It takes away credit from the opponent actually playing well
I would say yes, you deserve the prize money. But in theory you are going to get fined that same amount for the disrespect of the game and fans. If this goes unpunished then more may do the same (or at least he will continue it), and it will become acceptable.

Any tennis fan, player, or official knows when a player is clearly tanking. Tomic clearly was, regardless of the scoreline.
 

Tshooter

G.O.A.T.
...

If he'd tried his heart out, he wouldn't have gotten fined, ....

So tried your heart out (playing to a "professional standard" is the actual phraseology) = you didn't get fined. :unsure: That's sounds like a circular definition not a working definition.
 
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TheIntrovert

Hall of Fame
I would say yes, you deserve the prize money. But in theory you are going to get fined that same amount for the disrespect of the game and fans. If this goes unpunished then more may do the same (or at least he will continue it), and it will become acceptable.

Any tennis fan, player, or official knows when a player is clearly tanking. Tomic clearly was, regardless of the scoreline.
He definitely was
That’s fair to use it as a deterrent. They introduced that injury ruling as well due to last year’s mess of players pulling out. I still personally think it’s a bit too harsh to fine the whole amount though. Maybe half
 

Tshooter

G.O.A.T.
I would say yes, you deserve the prize money. But in theory you are going to get fined that same amount for the disrespect of the game and fans. If this goes unpunished then more may do the same (or at least he will continue it), and it will become acceptable.

Any tennis fan, player, or official knows when a player is clearly tanking. Tomic clearly was, regardless of the scoreline.

:rolleyes:

If it's so clear why was Tatishvili's appeal completely successful ?
 

Lleytonstation

Talk Tennis Guru
He definitely was
That’s fair to use it as a deterrent. They introduced that injury ruling as well due to last year’s mess of players pulling out. I still personally think it’s a bit too harsh to fine the whole amount though. Maybe half
Yeah, the price for Tomic isn't a huge deal, even if he was fined 10,000 I think he would cause a fit just to cause a fit.

I used to not understand guys like this, but after getting to know some people like Tomic, I realized they just have some mental disorders that they can't overcome.

It is sad, but a true reality that they usually never overcome.
 

Lleytonstation

Talk Tennis Guru
One of Tatishvilli's arguments was that she was being discriminated against because other male players weren't fined for arguably worse efforts. :cool:
Was this her first time being accused of tanking? I know this is not even the 3rd, 4th, or 5th time Tomic has tanked. Just like anything else, you should get punished more severely if this is a repeatable offense.
 
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